A Fateful Night
by JediHanyou
Summary: Inuyasha and crew seek out a Shikon shard. A series of bizarre events splits the group up into three pairs. Each pair has to deal with their own troubles to survive... A Fateful Night. Revised / revamped on 4/22/08. Note the new section in chapter 4!
1. An Ordinary Day

Disclaimer: My first attempt at a fanfic, I hope this one is well-received by all Inuyasha fans. All characters belong to the much-loved Rumiko Takahashi. I never thought I'd come up with a good idea, but as it turns out, I had several that fit together. This is, therefore, the first of several parts to this story.

- JediHanyou

"A Fateful Night", Part 1: An Ordinary Day

The sun rose slowly in the east, and the light came like a cat lazily stretching across the sky. In a small hut in the foothills of a mountain somewhere in Japan, a small two-tailed cat followed the sun's example. Kilala sat up on her haunches and whisked her tails from side to side, limbering up for the day's activities. She liked mornings.

One tail strayed just a bit too far away… or maybe not? She wiggled her tail back and forth, teasing a crinkling nose. Shippo came awake with a sneeze. "Kilala!"

"Mew!" She beamed, silently laughing at him.

"Come here, you!" The young kitsune launched himself at the cat, but missed as she gracefully hopped toward the hut's entrance. Shippo followed her out the door into the snow, unaware he was being led into a vicious ambush.

Miroku awoke with a start at the sound of a child's shriek, then sighed as he recognized Shippo's cries of delight as Kilala buried her icicle-laden whiskers into his tawny fur. His left arm felt numb. _Must've slept on it again, baka._ Turning, he saw that his arm had indeed been slept on again, but not by him. Sango's neck lay atop it; she herself lay facing him.

Glancing about, he saw a white-haired figure in red still crouching in his spot by the door, his ears twitching occasionally but giving no other signs of wakefulness. A young woman with jet-black hair was still curled up in her sleeping bag. The others were outside. His gaze traveled down the demon-slayer's sleeping form. _Come on, why not? Because she trusts you, idiot … and because she deserves better than you…_ Shaking his head to clear out the nagging voices, he decided to rely on instinct, rather than logic, as he always had in times past.

He reached out with his right hand and did as he'd done many times before, expecting at any moment a slap to his cheek. Instead, her right hand swatted his away from her rear like swatting at a fly, and she mumbled, "Not now, mommy, let me sleep a little more." The invading hand withdrew as quickly as it had arrived, but the rush of air passing her partially exposed side woke her.

"DAMMIT, MIROKU!!" Her giant bone boomerang, the Hiraikotsu, lay too far away to reach (normally she slept with it by her side, but she'd unconsciously relocated to a warmer spot after relieving herself around midnight), so she settled for pummeling his bemused face with her small but strong fists. His howls of laughter and her shouts of anger quickly roused Kagome and Inuyasha from their slumber.

"At it again already, you old lecher? Can't you control yourself for a few hours?" groaned the grumpy hanyou.

"Apparently not," remarked Kagome, checking to make sure her jewel shards were still present in their glass bottle, as she did every morning since Shippo had once tried to sneak off with them to help a young human girl he had fallen for.

Miroku's laughter ceased abruptly as Sango stormed outside to find Kilala, who had gone missing. She found her perched atop a struggling fox-tyke, giggling wildly as she licked his furry face. All anger vanished as the tiny feline jumped into her arms to lick her face instead. She grinned despite herself, but found her face suddenly both wet and cold as a snowball hit her square in the mouth. Ducking, she grabbed Shippo by the tail before he could launch another volley of snowballs.

"Next time, young one, aim more carefully!" He hurriedly nodded his agreement.

Releasing her prisoner to Kilala (now in demon form), she shivered and gazed up at the gathering clouds. _I sure hope it doesn't snow any more… it'll make getting up the rest of the mountain that much more difficult. _Turning, she went back inside to help fix their morning repast.

Inside, Kagome had already begun to cook their breakfast over her portable stove which (like almost anything else imaginable) had proceeded from the depths of her ever-present yellow backpack. The smells of fresh pancakes and bacon were enough to wake Miroku in seconds; he had passed out from too much laughter... Or maybe her blows… _Serves him right, the dirty… Grr! _ Sango kicked him twice for good measure, and to vent just a bit more.

Breaking open the ice which had formed on the surface of their water bucket in the corner, she was glad she didn't have to trudge all the way back to the cistern they had found a ways back on the trail. When the morning meal was ready, she again ventured outside (much more warmly clothed now) to call Shippo and Kilala in to eat.

The tawny two-tailed demon cat sauntered inside with the kitsune's tail in her jaws. Dropping Shippo, she shrunk back to kitty-size and rubbed her body against Sango's robe to remove the last bits of snow from her back.

After the blessing, the group ate in silence, considering the task ahead. _The demons beforehand have always been fairly easy to get to once they're located, but this time…_ Miroku's decided to speak up first. "Inuyasha, I think we had best take the western path." He pointed to a crude map drawn by a local villager. "It seems to be closer to the crow's nest than the eastern route."

"Of course it _looks_ that way, you idgit… these stupid people always think demon birds live higher up than they actually do!" Inuyasha spoke with his mouth full, as was his custom when they discussed things during meals. Kilala was more than happy to lick the crumbs off the floor.

"Good girl, no littering!" praised Kagome. "Inuyasha, you could learn a few things from her."

"Feh."

"What then shall we do, Inuyasha?" asked Miroku, trying to bring the conversation back around.

"I don't know, and I don't care!" he snapped. "Whatever you want to do is fine with me, I'm still taking the eastern road. It'll be easy enough to take a stupid _bird _by surprise from below, even if it does have jewel shards!"

"I believe the western road and an assault from above would be a wiser course of action in this case. Unlike most demons that possess shards, Inuyasha, this one can fly."

"I know that birds can fly!!" His eyes flashed as he bared his teeth in a snarl.

"Cool it, Inuyasha," said Sango, "He's just saying that the bird will be able to fly higher than even your powerful legs can carry you. The air is very thin here, so even your abilities will be limited."

"Feh." Inuyasha folded his arms as he turned his back on the group and snarled, "Do what you like, I'm still going east."

"Can I say something, please?" Kagome hated to see her friends argue, and she hated even more the frequent arguments she had with Inuyasha. Everyone stopped eating and looked at her with mild amusement. "Why don't we split up? Inuyasha, Shippo and I will go east, and you and Sango can ride Kilala westward up the mountain," nodding at the full-mouthed monk. "That way we'll take it by surprise from both directions."

"Excellent strategy, Kagome," Miroku replied after several hasty chews and a large gulp. "Worthy of a military genius." He took her hands in his own, either unaware of or purposefully ignoring Sango's jealous glare.

Kagome blushed, "Well, I…"

Inuyasha rose and walked between Miroku and Kagome, separating them. "Yeah, yeah, shut yer yap and let's get going… I don't like the smell of this weather." He stood at the doorway, tapping his foot impatiently as he glanced at them over his shoulder. Everyone stared back for a split second; then he tossed his mane of long white hair and announced that he would be waiting outside. The others packed up Kagome's bag and rolled up their sleeping gear before joining him.

xxxxx

Kilala bounded up the western trail, with Sango and Miroku astride her. "It's getting colder," the monk remarked to Sango, who sat in front of him.

"I know," she replied, turning to face him. "You'll just have to transcend it like always." A playfully vicious grin spread across her face, and then disappeared as she noticed his arms (which were wrapped about her waist) were slowly moving… one was going up, and the other going down.

"Stop it right now, or I'll push you off Kilala, you pervert!" The roaming arms resumed their original, only slightly less threatening position. _Why can't he just be less like his father and grandfather and more like _my _father? He teased and played with mom all the time, but I doubt he ever did anything like this _before_ they were married… _"Sigh." _If only he…_

"Sango, did you say something?" A bead of sweat appeared on her forehead and her cheeks flushed briefly before she silently shook her head. _I know she said _something, _I just don't know what, _thought Miroku.They continued on in the relative silence of steadily increasing wind and the padding of cat-feet.

As they neared the position of the nest marked on the map, Miroku spoke. "It's a shame that we have no way to coordinate our attack… well then, we shall wait five minutes upon reaching the nest before attacking. Hopefully, Inuyasha will arrive by then." Sango nodded in response, and Kilala growled her assent.

They reached the spot designated on the map, and looked over the cliff. A puzzled expression came over their faces as they beheld an empty rock ledge. "Curious," Miroku muttered.

"Huh?"

"There's no nest here… no evidence of our quarry whatsoever."

"Maybe the old man was wrong when he said he saw it fly to this spot after each attack on the village."

"Perhaps…" Miroku knit his brow, then made his decision. "Sango, stay here. Kilala, you'll have to fly for a little while, is that alright?" The great cat nodded, indicating she did have enough energy to fly for a little while; they had learned that her demon powers, based on fire, did not work as well at great heights. Kagome kept insisting it was because the air was too thin for her fire to burn strong enough, but the others weren't convinced.

"Miroku, be…" Sango paused for a brief instant before changing her sentence. "Be sure to take care of Kilala."

"Of course." The cat took a running start and leapt over the edge of the cliff. Fire sprouted from her paws as she strode across the sky in a lazy spiral towards the empty ledge below.

As Miroku dismounted his carrier, a great gust of wind issued from the mountain, knocking him flat on his back. From a cave in the mountain sprang a sharp beak and fiery eyes, followed by the rest of the demon bird!!Narrowly avoiding his heart, the bird's beak pierced Miroku in his left shoulder.

"Miroku!!" _Why am I so worried about him? He can take care of himself! _Sango slid down the slope of the mountain, every nerve tingling as she tensed her upper body to hurl her loyal boomerang.

As she drew her arm back to throw, Kilala pounced on the bird, biting at its left wing and scratching at its face with her claws. The bird screeched in pain, then shook off its assailant. With a flurry of wings, Kilala was blown off the mountainside. Too stunned to fly, she tumbled onto the rocks below and lay still.

Sango maintained her concentration… Kilala had suffered far worse before. She let her boomerang fly, but the demon sensed the changes in the wind that preceded it. With another eruption of flapping, her boomerang sailed off course, plunging into the mountainside nearly a hundred feet below her. She rolled onto the ledge and drew her sword. Attracted by the shiny metal blade, the demon turned to face its newest threat. Miroku, who was down but not out, took advantage of the distraction; he jumped up and smashed his staff on the bird's already bleeding left wing. His efforts were rewarded by a wing-slap in the face and a slam into the mountainside near the mouth of the bird's cave. _Heh, that's all you got? Sango could out-slap… you…_ He slowly lapsed into unconsciousness.

Sango crouched and jumped forward, attempting to sever the demon's head. In a panic, the bird took flight… or at least tried to. It was at best a controlled fall. Miroku and Kilala had done their job, as its left wing hung limp at its side. Unfortunately, Inuyasha just happened to be bounding up the other trail at the same time. He was arguing with Shippo (as usual), and noticed the falling demon a bit too late to dodge. "Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!!" the noise of his attack echoed. The bird's right wing splintered and rebounded off the mountain, but the hanyou's attack was not quite enough to stop the oncoming menace.

The bird's body came crashing down on the trio, knocking Kagome and Shippo off Inuyasha's back. Sensing the jewel shards hidden away inside Kagome's pocket, the bird clutched at it with its clawed feet, shredding Kagome's outer garments before obtaining its prize. Swallowing the shards, it sprouted not one but three brand new wings and turned to its next course: the girl who had borne the shards but recently.

"Inuyasha!! Help!!" screamed Kagome.

The hanyou knew she was in trouble already; he could smell her blood, for the demon had scratched her shoulders several times. He ran down the mountain, drawing his sword, which transformed at his command. Unfortunately, though his blade had become much lighter since his fight with Ryukotsusei, it was sufficiently long and heavy enough to throw off his balance, and he slipped and took a tumble. Thankfully, Sango's boomerang - still wedged in the mountainside - broke his fall. _And maybe a few ribs_, he thought as he winced. He dashed back up the mountain, taking care to balance the Tetsusaiga more carefully this time.

Kagome, meanwhile, was fighting for her life as the demon tried to catch her in its venomous beaks; a second head had grown alongside the first, and she had lost her bow on the way down. Shippo clambered out of her backpack and joined the fray, but his Foxfire was not yet potent enough to cause any damage and the bird paid him no heed. Indignant, he jumped onto a wing that dipped too low to the ground and dug his teeth in. _I saved Kagome when I bit Montan the Thunder Brother like this… I can do it again! _he thought.

However, he had forgotten in the heat of battle that birds have feathers, and that feathers come out when pulled too hard. Instead of chomping down on an underdone "Kay-Eff-See" wing like the ones Kagome brought from home, he found himself with a mouthful of what tasted like moldy pillow. Then the bird whapped him off the cliff with its wings.

Fortunately, he maintained his cool, and calmly plucked a leaf from inside his vest. Pressing it to his forehead, he closed his eyes and transformed into a giant pink blob. He flailed madly with his… arm… things… but the wind had started to pick up, and was blowing him steadily away from the mountain.

He had no way to get back to help the others, and he started shivering; his sweat had cooled. He saw Kilala waking up far below him, battered but still alive. Kilala took notice of him, and followed on foot as best she could.

xxxxx

_All those years of gymnastics training finally paid off! _thought Kagome as she twirled, rolled, and cartwheeled past the snapping beaks. As her shoulders twinged again, she thought back to the last time she was out in the exercise yard with her friends…

xxxxx

"Gee, Kagome, it stinks that you have to take that remedial math class. Do you think Hojo will keep coming around if he finds out your grades are slipping?"

Clad in a white sweatshirt and (very, _very_ short) red shorts, she thought carefully before answering; she always had to speak carefully around her school friends so she wouldn't reveal what _really_ went on while she was "sick at home." If only grandpa would come up with more common diseases for her to catch…

"I don't know, and I don't care," she pronounced decisively. "I never asked for his attention, and frankly, it's starting to annoy me!"

Refocusing her attention on the impending long jump test, she couldn't help but think, _I wish Inuyasha would pay attention to me like Hojo does…_

xxxxx

"Kagome, look out!" She was snapped out of her reverie as Sango dove into her, forcing her to the ground as Inuyasha's sword whistled, cutting off one of the demon's heads. It started to grow back, but the bird decided to find easier prey and began to fly away.

"Oh, no you don't!!" Inuyasha drew back his sword.

"The Wind Scar!" breathed Kagome and Sango together.

"HRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!" With a tremendous shout, Inuyasha swung the Tetsusaiga, slicing through the Wind Scar and sending five jagged bolts of energy howling towards the retreating demon. It's body dissolved almost instantly, and the jewel shards sparkled down to the mountainside, where they lodged among the rocks.

Sheathing his sword, Inuyasha grunted once, then turned. "Are you all right, Kagome?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Just a bit banged up. Shippo's gone, though."

Inuyasha looked to the horizon. "I can't see him… but this wind might've driven him a long way off." _It's so cold all of a sudden… I hope the little guy will be ok._

"Kilala? Kilala? Kagome, I can't find her!" Sango sounded almost frantic.

"Don't worry, she's a big girl. She can take care of herself." Miroku staggered out of the cave, supporting himself with his staff. He stumbled, and collapsed onto Sango's shoulder. She quickly knelt with him to keep the both of them from falling down.

"Are _you_ ok, Miroku?" Kagome inquired. There was no answer for a moment.

"I think he's just fine…" growled Sango through clenched teeth. The others looked closer and saw that he had simply fallen asleep… with his hand on Sango's backside.

Outside the cave, the wind from the north steadily increased, and flecks of white began to appear in the sky.


	2. Demon Strike!

"A Fateful Night", Part 2: Demon Strike!

**Grunt**

**RRRIP**

"Oh! Mmm… Ooh…"

"Hey, are you two done in there yet?" yelled a very grumpy hanyou.

"Owww!"

"Almost, Inuyasha!" Sango gave a final tug, then sat back.

"That better?"

"_Sigh_… much better. Thank you, Sango."

"Any time… your wound will stop bleeding soon. I know it hurt to pull the bandage so tight, but it should stay in place."

Miroku opened his eyes, and blinked away the tears that had started to form. The two of them were huddled in the entranceway to the cave the giant demon bird had emerged from not long before.

He shakily got to his feet… _a little lower, and the bird's beak would have pierced my… _he shook his head. Now was not the time for such thoughts. "Inuyasha! Have you retrieved the jewel shards yet?"

"Not yet… I can't see where they landed, and _Kagome_ insisted that we both stay here to protect you!" He huffed again and turned away as Sango stood.

_He's secretly glad to stay_, thought Miroku. _I know he cares too much about us to leave us alone._ Shippo had told them about how Inuyasha had cried when he had thought that he, Sango, and Kagome had been killed by poison made by Mukotsu of the Band of Seven. He was fairly certain that the tears were mostly for Kagome… but only _mostly_. Of course, Inuyasha was not one to easily reveal his inner-most feelings, and so denied the event fervently… his usual denials ended with a lump on Shippo's head and an annoyed Kagome yelling "SIT!"

_Ah… good times…_ He casually stretched out his right hand to give it a taste of its favorite rump…

**WHAP!**

"Don't you _ever_ give it a rest, monk?" Sango sighed as she stalked away.

" Heh heh… I guess not!" He grinned goofily as he followed her out of the cave. "By the way, where's Kilala?"

"I think she went after Shippo when he was swept off the cliff," said Kagome. "I'm sure they'll be fine!"

"Well, enough jibber-jabber, let's get those shards!" groused Inuyasha. He hunched over to allow Kagome to climb aboard the Hanyou Express. In a whirl, he dove over the side of the cliff.

Sango and Miroku followed, and peered over the edge. A sudden rush of frigid air nearly toppled them both over the edge, but Miroku quickly stuck his staff into the ground next to them, and was able to hold them both in place.

He looked in the direction the gust had come from, and dove to the right, pulling Sango with him. A jagged ice spear thudded to the ground where they had just knelt.

"Not bad, _human_!" boomed the humanoid demon who floated above them. He leveled a long, glowing spear at the pair. "But you are in our way."

"And just who do you think _you_ are!" yelled Sango, hoisting her Hiraikotsu.

"I? I am the demon Kurimaru!" his spear pulsed, and icicles shot from the tip.

Sango ducked behind her boomerang while Miroku spun and twirled, deflecting the spears that approached him with his staff.

"Is that the best you've got?!" laughed the monk. "I've seen much worse in my day!"

"Careful, you fool!" Sango hissed. "I don't want to have to re-bandage you!"

"I assure you, that will not be necessary, my dear Sango."

"INDEED NOT!" roared Kurimaru. "The dead need no medicine!" His spear glowed again, but this time a white-blue ray of light sprang forth. The pair separated, dodging to either side as the ground beneath them became coated in a sheet of solid ice. He swept the spear back and forth, covering the ledge and the cave entrance in feet of frozen water.

"We can't keep this up!" panted Miroku as he and Sango met and stood back-to-back. "Kneel down right now!"

Sango crouched down as Miroku began to chant. The spear's ray swept over them, but the ice congealed on the barrier the monk had quickly raised.

"Ha ha ha!!" Kurimaru cackled. "You will make a fine meal come spring!"

He stopped as he heard a horrible strangled shriek from over the cliff. Kurimaru gave a furious roar: "BROTHER! NO!!"

Beneath the thick ice, Miroku and Sango couldn't hear the demon's rapid departure.

xxxxx

Meanwhile, Inuyasha and Kagome were engaged in a fight of their own. A humanoid demon calling itself Aisumaru had sensed the jewel shards and had come to claim them.

_Damn!_ thought Inuyasha. _Why now? It's almost sundown!_ He was currently occupied in bounding from one tiny ledge to another, avoiding the demon's ice attacks. Fortunately, each ice spear that thudded into the face of the cliff provided him another jumping-off point. Unfortunately, with Kagome on his back, he couldn't get his right arm clear to draw the Tetsusaiga!

"Kagome, I'm going… to have to try… something…rather dangerous," he barked out as he executed a series of rapid hops in a zig-zag pattern.

"What?" responded the young girl.

"When I say so, let go!"

"WHAT?"

"JUST TRUST ME, YOU STUPID GIRL!"

"FINE! BUT IF I FALL AND DIE, IT'S YOUR FAULT, YOU JERK!"

"Whatever… NOW!"

Kagome clenched her teeth and released the man she loved at the precise moment he leapt off a ledge. Inuyasha, released of his burden, sped away from the cliff on a beeline towards Aisumaru.

"I have you now, fool!" bellowed the ice demon as he raised his pair of three-pronged _sais_ to release another barrage of ice shards. Inuyasha just smirked and spun while drawing his own blade.

"TETSUSAIGA!!" The giant fang emerged from its magnolia-wood sheath and neatly severed the demon's head from its shoulders in a spray of ichor before Aisumaru had the opportunity to react. Aisumaru's lifeless body began to dissolve, but Inuyasha was moving far too fast to stop… as he had intended. His powerful legs coiled like springs, and then released… using Aisumaru's body to propel himself back toward the cliff, he neatly caught Kagome's waist in the crook of his left arm and carried her with him.

"Inuyasha… that… that was _amazing!!_" she cried as they landed. "I never knew that you knew the laws of physics so well!"

"Kagome…what is Fizz-icks? This is the Rengoku District. Besides, I was just bouncing off him like I'd bounce off a falling rock…"

(Sweatdrop) "Nevermind… I'm just glad you came back for me."

"You actually thought I'd just let you fall to your death?"

"No, you JERK! I didn't see any way that you could save me, but I trusted you anyway! How could you think so little of me?" she shrieked.

Inuyasha bit back a sharp retort. _Something doesn't smell right…_

"YOU MISERABLE WRETCHES!! YOU SLAUGHTERED MY BROTHER!"

Inuyasha scratched his head gently with a clawed finger. _Where did that come from? I know I've heard those exact words before…_ His nose directed his sluggish brain to _get the heck out of there, you idiot!!_ A split-second later, a volley of thick ice spikes sunk deep into the cliff where they had been standing.

_I'm getting really, _really _tired of being a Hanyou jumping-bean_, thought Inuyasha as Kagome screamed and clutched at his robe; she hadn't had time to get a decent grip. Alighting on a ledge, he tucked the girl behind him protectively and faced the new foe.

"What do _you_ want?" he snarled.

"You dirty rat… you dirty rat… you killed my brother!!"

"Umm… I'm not a rat… I'm a dog… well, half-dog… and I took a bath last week…"

"Silence, fool! I, Kurimaru, shall avenge my little brother's death!" The demon swooped down, his spear shimmering with a dazzling evil light.

"Dammit! Get back, Kagome!" shouted the beleaguered Inuyasha, knocking one thrust after another aside.

Seconds stretched into hours as the two demons dueled in the sky. Tiring, Inuyasha began to overextend his parries and was viciously skewered through his side. He howled in pain as he felt flesh being ripped from his ribs while Kurimaru spun him around like a rag doll; finally the demon flung him headlong into the cliffside, spitting him through his stomach on an ice shard that had lodged there. Tetsusaiga slipped from his grip and lodged in a crevasse.

"Now, you filthy _rat_, you just stay there and watch while I devour this little _mouse_!" Kurimaru snarled as he turned to Kagome.

"Eep!"

"My, my… don't you look delicious…" he smiled wickedly, revealing three rows of razor-sharp teeth. He hovered before her, idly twirling the spear between his fingers and licking his lips hungrily. "Now, should I start with the head, or the legs? Mmm… brains and eyes are nice, but then you won't feel much pain, now will you? Legs it is, then." He reached for the petrified girl.

"BLADES OF BLOOD!!" Ruby crescent-shaped blades sliced through the air between the demon and the girl as Kurimaru tumbled backwards, losing his grip on his spear in the process.

"Oh! You still have some fight left in you, eh _rat_?"

"Feh. As if a low-class youkai like you could possibly have any hope of killing me," spat out Inuyasha. Blood dribbled from his lips and dripped from his claws as he stood once more between Kagome and the demon. "Don't you even dare try to touch her again!"

"I do as I please… _half-breed_." His eyes glinted. "Yes, already I can smell the human in you. Tonight is your night of weakness, is it not? All I have to do is wait for the sun to set, and you will both become my prey." His laugh echoed off the mountainside, causing rocks to cascade from above.

"Kagome," Inuyasha muttered. "Can you put your sacred power into any object, or only an arrow?"

"I don't know… I've never tried before…"

"I need you to distract him, just for a moment… act like you're going for your bow, but stop and throw _something_ at him instead. All I need is a second."

"You got it."

Inuyasha took a deep, shaky breath, inhaling more blood even as he did so. "Kagome! Get your bow!" He crouched, and then sprang up to the large ledge above, Kagome clinging to his chest.

As Kagome scrambled to the cave entrance, Kurimaru pursued her with an outstretched hand. "Get back here, wench!" As planned, Kagome stopped short, rolled to one side, and came up with an object in her hand, glowing brilliant violet. She launched it at Kurimaru with all her might…

**PFFF – ZAPP – CRACKLE**

The snowball plastered itself across the demon's face as the spiritual power within it dissipated. He howled furiously.

"What have you done to me, wench! Return my sight to me!" The demon flailed about in vain as Inuyasha rushed towards him, golden claws preparing to unleash the final blow.

"IRON REAVER SO… ohhhhh!" **WHAM.** Inuyasha's blood-slicked feet slipped on the smooth ice covering the ledge, and he crashed to the ground.

"Inuyasha!" He looked up at the sound and saw Kagome smoothly gliding across the ice towards him. Time seemed to slow down. _How can she move like that? She looks every bit an angel…_

But the thrashing ice demon was not yet done. "I hear you, rat and mouse! I cannot see, but I will avenge my brother nonetheless. Now DIE!!" As he spoke, his body transformed into to clear crystal, and then splintered into millions of shards that flew in every direction.

"KAGOME, GET DOWN!!" With no hesitation, Kagome flung herself headlong to the ground. Yet Inuyasha watched helplessly as hundreds of icy teeth sunk into every inch of her body from the soles of her feet to the back of her head. Several ice blades ripped through Inuyasha's ears, and his screams of agony mixed with Kagome's as he writhed in pain.

As blood dripped down staining his hair, Inuyasha rose to see Kagome lying on the ice before him, perfectly still. "Kagome… no… I…"

She stirred. "Ohh… my back…"

"Kagome!" He sprang to her side.

"Inuyasha? I'm… so cold…"

"Just hang on, Kagome… I need to get you off this mountain and back to somewhere safe and warm before the sun sets!"

He scooped her up in his arms and scrambled down the cliff, completely ignoring the mysterious giant lump of ice on the ledge and pausing only to scoop Tetsusaiga into its sheath. _I can't worry about Sango and Miroku… or anyone else. I can't let Kagome die, even if everyone else does._

He rushed toward the forest, trying to go as fast as possible without jostling his precious cargo. Even as he passed the tree line, the wind which had been swelling rose without warning and let loose its icy load. He did not get far in before the wind began to buffet him from side to side. In the corner of his eye, he could see the last rays of the waning sun as it sunk below the horizon. _No! Not now!_

The transformation was usually painless… but not this time. His bleeding dog-ears disappeared and were replaced by bleeding human ears, even as his silvery hair turned jet black.

_Damn! How does Miroku ever put up with this sort of pain?_ As he pressed on, Inuyasha idly wondered if he should ask the monk, should they meet again. _He'd probably just say it's just one more way to train the body. _He smirked. _That's probably why he doesn't mind Sango's slaps…_

Kagome began to shiver violently in his arms. Risking a quick look back, Inuyasha saw red spatters in the snow. _Gotta hurry… need to find someplace warm and dry… Please, Kagome… stay with me!_

He pressed on into the gathering gloom as the wintery wind nipped at his heels.


	3. A Tale of a Tail

"A Fateful Night", part 3: A Tale of a Tail

_I'm just a little pink puffball… hovering over Musashi Plain… hm hm hm…_

Shippo drifted along, driven by the north wind. He'd lost sight of Kilala following him below, and he was looking for a place to land. His cheerful mental song was rudely interrupted by a sharp blast of air from behind and a sudden drop in the temperature.

Normally, this would not have been much of a problem for a demon. However, he was presently a giant pink blob with sticks for arms, and his increased surface area also increased his rate of heat loss. By the time he steered himself to the ground and landed atop a snowdrift, he was a little Shippo-cicle.

Kilala arrived soon and pulled him out of the drift gingerly, knowing that he needed heat, and fast! But there was a more immediate problem at hand; she sensed dozens of demons closing about her, and she was in no condition to outrun them, especially with the kitsune in her mouth. She set him down inside a hollow log to give him some shelter from the wind and turned to face her multitudinous attackers.

"HOOOOWWOOOO!!" Their leader gave the order, and the pack sprang into action. After a few quick bouts, the survivors beseeched their leader to find some other prey… prey that couldn't bite back. With a series of growls and barks the wolf pack conversed until they were silenced by the appearance of a lightning-fast whirlwind.

"What have we here, eh, Lupis?"

"Oowwoo.. Roff!!"

"Oh, she injured half your hunting group, eh? Well, we'll just see about…" He stopped, recognizing the prey in question. She recognized him, too, and told him so with a low growl.

"You… you're that demon-slayer's cat! It seems we have not met under the best of circumstances." Another growl answered him.

"Kilala, is it? Normally, I'm not that pleased to come across a cat in our hunting grounds. Still, your master's friend, that radiant beauty Kagome, did save my life more than once… as did that arrogant half-breed Inu-Trasha." A hiss told him not to use that particular misnomer again.

"Whoa there, girl!" he shouted. "Tell you what: I'll let you sleep in our den tonight, under my protection. You'll die out in this cold, and you know it."

Kilala tilted her head to one side, thought a moment, and snarled.

"Him, too? Alright, the little tyke can come along. We'll keep you both warm, and feed you, too… _if _you manage to catch something." He glanced sharply at Lupis, who howled once more and bounded off with the healthy members of his party trailing behind. "Now then, how am I going to carry _you _back?"

Kilala burst into flame, and shrunk back to her usual kitty-cat size.

"Well now… that's certainly a sight to see." He tucked her under his right arm and Shippo under his left, and sped off through the snow in a whirlwind.

xxxxx

Shippo awoke in a warm, fire-lit cave. Instantly alert, his nose twitched as it tried to sort out a combination of smells that was both frightening and oddly comforting. One scent in particular stuck in his mind, and brought him up with a yawn. Looking behind him, he saw his pillow, a hurt and tired but soft and dry two-tailed cat. "Kilala," he murmured as he snuggled back into her fur. A pair of soft footsteps behind him roused him a second time. His gaze traveled up to the face of the owner of the feet and he froze stiff.

A familiar face stared down at him, more curious than malicious. "Don't bother trying to escape again like you did last time. My wolves won't be fooled by that trick more than once."

Shippo gulped. _Last time, I disguised myself as him, and tried to get Kagome out of here. How can I get myself and Kilala out now?_

"You hungry?"

He looked up again in shock. "What?"

"I said, ARE YOU HUNGRY?" This time, he bared his fangs.

"Uh-uh-umm… yeah, I guess so…" _Why is he being so nice to me?_

"Then come on over here, we have some fresh rabbit. Nice and juicy." He licked his lips.

"Ummm… Koga?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I have it cooked? I don't like raw meat that much…"

The wolf demon let out a laugh. "Well, there's your fire that Kilala asked for before she fell asleep. Here." He drew his sword and handed it to the kitsune. "You can use that to roast it on." He stomped off to his bedding of straw and lay down.

"I'm getting too soft since I met Kagome…" Koga fell asleep dreaming of her… of her scent, and her soft touch.

Not long after, with a full tummy and dry fur, Shippo lay down on Kilala again. He had made friends with a few of the wolf cubs, and they didn't seem too bad at all.

He yawned and stretched himself, but couldn't quite get to sleep. _Why is Koga helping us? He hates Inuyasha, so doesn't he hate us, too? _Again he thought of the last time he was in this cave.

_Koga wanted Kagome to be his woman so she would find jewel shards for him… he probably still wants her, too. Maybe he thinks that by being nice to us, she'll choose him over Inuyasha… I hope not. Inuyasha can be a real jerk sometimes, especially to Kagome, but I can tell that he really loves her. What can I do about this?_

Getting to his feet, he began pacing around the dying fire. Adding a few more sticks to keep it going, he nearly squealed in delight when the idea came to him. He searched his clothes frantically, and slumped in disappointment when he couldn't find it. Just then Kilala rolled over to warm her backside and exposed his treasure. He pounced on it with glee and hurried off to perform his greatest trick ever.

xxxxx

Koga awoke and stretched his arms over his head. He'd had the most magnificent dreams about Kagome! It seemed almost too real to be true, he thought. It was like she was right here, in his den, in his arms! He shook his head to clear away the memory… wouldn't do to show weakness, after all. Yawning, he glanced at the ground next to him and saw the very thing he'd wanted but never expected.

"Kagome!!" he shouted with glee, pouncing on her. "You finally gave up on that mutt and came to me!" He kissed her passionately, closing his eyes so he could focus on what was more important… her scent. Was she in heat?

His nose told him something wasn't quite right. Opening his eyes ever so slightly, he saw that Kagome's eyes seemed to be sparkling a little more than usual. What's more, she was… laughing! She was laughing at him!

His nose finally revealed her secret… "YOU… LITTLE… YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!!"

Kagome disappeared in a puff of smoke, revealing the _kitsune_ for who he was. He was giggling madly. He saw Koga's fist poised to strike, and hurriedly said in a hushed voice, "If you hit me, I'll tell Kagome about this! I'll tell her you like me more than her." He grinned jubilantly.

"Heh…heh heh… hmm… heh… heh heh heh… … … WAH-HAH-HAH-HAH-HAH!!" The sound of Koga's laughter woke the nearby sleeping wolves in seconds flat. Sensing no danger to their leader, they quickly nodded off again.

"Well, my little friend… it looks like this will be our little secret, then."

"Pinky swear?" Shippo stuck out his little finger.

"Umm… sure." Koga put out his hand reluctantly, but no sooner had he clasped Shippo's hand than he found it pinned beneath a heavy stone statue. He sighed. "The sooner you leave, the sooner I'll be happy. I don't know how even Inuyasha puts up with you!"

Shippo's only response was another giggle as he ran to wake Kilala.


	4. The Cursed New Moon

"A Fateful Night", part 4: The Cursed New Moon

Inuyasha ran…

And ran…

And ran…

He ran faster than when he fought his elder brother Sesshomaru deep in the belly of his father's armor-clad corpse…

_Even now, it's strange to think that he's still inside me… I think…_ His long black hair streamed behind him.

He ran faster than when he ran back to Kaede-baba's village when he smelled her blood on the vile witch Urasue…

_Damn that witch to the abyss of hell… this is all her fault…_ He bared his teeth and growled in anger.

He ran faster than when he ran to rescue Kagome from being a human sacrifice to the leader of the Panther Demon Tribe…

_If they ever show up again… they won't escape!_

He ran faster than he ran to return from a mission of vengeance to his mother's side, only to find her already dead and buried.

_Damn that Kagewaki!_

Of course, it only felt like he was running that fast, because he was currently stuck in his human form… but his lungs and legs burned more than they ever had.

Over fifty years had passed since then, though he had only become but a few years older (_not much wiser_, he mused) and stronger (_stronger than my own father, a full demon - Myoga says so, anyway_).

He bore in his arms a crumpled form almost unrecognizable to his sad dark eyes. As he ran through the trees, the wind, and the driving snow, his tattered red kimono grew sodden. _It's not the snow, I'm not making enough heat to melt it… damn it, Kagome, stay with me!!_

Crimson droplets spattered the snow behind his unflagging bare feet and disappeared as quickly as they fell, covered by snow. His feet… _hurt_. He had no idea how long he had been running… as his head became muddled, he began to wonder why he was running at all. Sparing the briefest glance downward, he was sharply reminded of exactly why he was running as if for his life… he was running for _hers_. He saw by the dim starlight that his feet were turning a horrible shade of blue, and that Kagome's face was in no better shape. _Hell, her whole body's in a lot worse shape than my feet!_

His strength renewed with a newfound sense of purpose, he careened onward through the snow, breathing as deeply as he dared so his lungs wouldn't freeze. His eyes scanned the gloomy forest as he searched for some semblance of shelter that would grant them respite from the storm._ I warned her about this… why didn't she listen to me?!_

Then, as if heaven had heard his unspoken plea, he spied a low, slumping shadow in the distance. Sprinting with the last strength his legs could lend, he arrived to find a small hut barely worthy of the poorest of humans. _Let alone the son of a great demon lord and a human priestess…_

Still, he thanked the powers that be for their gift. Forcing open the crude wooden door, he found the hovel's interior to be no more awe-inspiring than the snow-covered outside. _At least it's dry in here…_ He laid Kagome in what seemed would be the warmest corner. As he closed the door behind them, he felt a tickle at the back of his brain and started to reach up to squash what he suspected would be a particularly annoying flea, but stopped halfway. _Myoga ain't here… it's too dangerous._ Sighing, he hit his head on the ground, trying to dislodge a dim memory.

_What was Kagome telling me about?_ he thought as he tore his inner robe into strips to bind Kagome's many wounds. Kagome had few clothes left to speak of, and those that yet hung upon her slight frame afforded little protection, being frayed and soaked with blood. As he removed the frozen remains of her sweatsuit (_not her usual outfit… she's not as dumb as she seems sometimes…_) the action jogged his memory. _A few days ago, she was talking about something that happens when humans get cold… what did she call it? hippo… hypo… Hypotenuse? Hypothalamus? Hypothermia? That's it!_

_Let's see… she told me to take off any wet clothes. Done that._ He sighed. _If we… no, WHEN we get out of this,_ he thought, _I won't be able to move for weeks after all the SITS she's gonna give me… not like I haven't seen her this way before… So, what's next?_

His numbed mind drew a blank as he scanned their cramped shelter. He spied a suspicious lump in the corner, and sprang into action…

"Iron Reaver Soul-Stealer!!"

"Oww!! Stupid low-roofed hut!"

He rubbed his forehead as he tried to focus his eyes on the demon he'd just unsuccessfully attempted to slash into ribbons. _A… blanket?_ _I must be really out of it…_ _I tried to slash a blanket with my fingernails! _He hastily bundled Kagome into the blanket and cradled her in his lap.

_How did it come to this? _he thought. _Damn this human half of me… why didn't you listen, Kagome?_ She lay unconscious, although she coughed on occasion. He watched in horror as her mouth began to drip red goo.

_DAMMIT!! She's choking on her own blood now! _He moved her into a sitting (_shudder_) position to drain the blood from between her azure lips. After another fit of coughs, she came to.

Still quite groggy, Kagome sensed she was cold, and that there was a warm _some_thing behind her. As she lolled her head to see what it was, she felt a great pain and nearly passed out again. The only thing that kept her awake was a sudden shake from Inuyasha. "Don't you die on me, Kagome!!"

That brought her around. "I… Inu… Yasha?"

"Yeah, whaddya want?"

"Wha-what hap-p-penned?" She was too exhausted to shiver, but her stutter gave evidence to her chilled body. She was too tired to notice her shredded clothes, bandaged wounds, or the fact that they were sharing a blanket.

"What's the last thing you remember?" _I can keep her awake if she keeps thinking… Please, Kagome, stay with me!_

"You leaping up the mountain with Shippo and I on your back… demon crow came out of nowhere and knocked me off your back…"

"He didn't just knock you off my back, he stole your jewel shards," he replied. "By the time I caught up to you, he'd already swallowed it and was about to eat you, too. It's lucky I was able to kill him with the Wind Scar… he was too fast to kill with any normal blow."

"Wh-where's Sh-sh-shi-shi…?" Her open mouth refused to let her blood-caked lips form the shape to pronounce the P.

"Still no sign." _Those damn ice demons… we would've found him by now if it wasn't for them._

"And the… rest?"

"I haven't seen them since…" his voice trailed off. _That baka Miroku… he's gonna pay for attacking too soon! If he hadn't startled the crow, Kagome might not be hurt now. We could've finished off the crow quicker, avoided the ice demons… she wouldn't have been injured, and we could've been safe back in the cottage by nightfall!_

She made no reply. _She's asleep again_, he thought. _No, wait… something's not right. _He listened intently, but heard no breath. _DAMMIT!! _He whipped her face around to his and pressed his mouth to hers in an awkward but effective kiss. His muddled mind didn't even register the sensations as he frantically breathed life into her. _Thank heaven her heart's still beating. _ He didn't know what to do if it stopped... Kagome had promised to teach them all, but hadn't had the chance to yet.

Sputtering, Kagome revived. Her body's spasms hurled fresh blood into the relieved hanyou's face, but he clutched her even tighter.

xxxxx

"Stay with me, Kagome!"

_I'm right here, Inuyasha… I promised I would stay with you, remember? No matter what, I'll always be by your side._

"I don't want to lose you, too!"

_I understand… it would break your heart to lose me like you did Kikyo… but I'm not going anywhere, Inuyasha…_

"You're all I have!"

_That's not true, Inuyasha, you have so much to live for… Sango sees you as a big brother; so does Shippo. You're such a good friend to Miroku, too. And you can always go back to Kikyo; I never said you couldn't… even though you know that it would shatter my heart into a million pieces._

"I… I don't want this to end!"

_What's going on? Is something wrong? Oh my god, why can't you hear me, Inuyasha? You HAVE to hear me! I have to tell you…_

xxxxx

Kagome awoke, gasping and choking. "Inu… Yasha…" Her voice gurgled. "I… need to… tell you… some… thing." She opened her eyes ever so slightly. "I… l… l… lo…" She gasped, and her protector felt her body stiffen in his arms as her heartbeat slowed... and ceased.

_No. Not like this. _"NOOOOOO!! Kagome, don't go! I LOVE YOU, KAGOME!!"

His cries fell on deaf ears, his tears on a frozen face. Kagome, _his_ Kagome… was dead.

Inuyasha raised his head high, and howled bitterly as the tears flowed unbidden. His howls matched the fierce wind in pitch, but carried an immeasurably stronger power that came from the depths of his wounded soul.

xxxxx

Far off, a pair of pointed ears heard his cry, and a pair of yellow eyes narrowed as their owner chuckled grimly.

"So, Inuyasha… something has hurt you worse than I… worse than that worthless fraud Naraku. This is something I must behold." Silvery strands of hair fluttered behind him as he arose into the shifting skies on a billowing cloud.


	5. Colder Inside or Out?

"A Fateful Night", Part 5: Colder Inside or Out?

"I think he's gone… you should go check."

"Why me?"

"Because you're the man, aren't you?"

"Well, yes, but…" Miroku scooted closer to the frustrated demon-slayer. "It's plenty cozy in here… I think we should wait a while long… _gulp._ Yes, of course, dear Sango, I'll check right away!"

_I swear I saw flames surrounding her body… is that what Inuyasha sees when Kagome sits him for going to see Kikyo? _He shuddered at the immense wrath the women he traveled with could demonstrate when the situation called for it.

"Hmm… let's see…"

"Well?"

He turned to face her again, slightly abashed. "I'm… not really sure how to get us out of here… who knows how thick the ice is?"

"Well you'd better start using that jangly staff of yours, or we're going to run out of air… or heat… or _patience!!_"

_Yep, this time I know I saw flames. Funny how they don't seem to be melting our prison._ "Never fear, my dear. I'll have us free momentarily." He turned away once more and began chanting, then raised his staff and struck it against the curved roof of their icy prison. The head of the staff glowed bright red, and the ice began to melt. He was careful to not let any of the frigid water drip on him… wet clothes and cold weather was not a healthy combination. He began to make small circles with the staff, and gradually increased their size until he had a good-sized hole melted into the ice.

"Sango?"

"What now?"

"It's very thick."  
"The ice, or your head?"

_Ouch._ "Both, heh heh… I don't think I can melt through it."

"Can you blow it apart, then?"

"Not without risking injury to the occupants."

"Meaning us."

"Yes."  
"Do it. I'll be fine."

_Right…_ "Very well, better duck down and cover your ears… this will make a very loud sound, and if it doesn't break the ice, the sound will echo in here."

"Fine. Just do it!"

"Very well…" He withdrew one of his many sutras from within his cloak and placed it inside the hole he had made. _There'll be little sound… but the fracturing ice may be dangerous, and if it falls on us… well… _He placed a second sutra on top of the first, cross-wise, and then dove on top of Sango.

**CRACKLE – CRACKLE – CRACK!!** The ice shattered, and giant chunks of it rained down on the two of them. Miroku struggled to keep himself supported on his hands and knees as Sango squirmed underneath him.

_If the ice doesn't kill me, _she_ will_ was his last thought before a large block struck his head and he passed out.

xxxxx

"You dirty… pervert!" yelled Sango as she pushed away the rubble that covered her. _The nerve of him! climbing on top of me like that when…_ her train of thought ground to a halt when she realized what had really just transpired. She hurriedly unburied her unconscious protector.

"Miroku?" she whispered. _Thank heaven, he's still breathing… _she cast about for other signs of life. "Inuyasha? Kagome? Shippo? Kilala? Guess I'll have to carry you myself."

The monk winced in pain as she began to hoist him up. "Miroku, you're awake!"

"Owww… yes… just very dizzy."

"You took a nasty blow to the head… you might have a concussion."

"Any good news?"

"You're alive."

"Fantastic…"

"And I found your staff, and my hiraikotsu." She walked over and leaned down to pick her boomerang up from where it had fallen.

"Lovely…"

"But we seem to be all alone."

"Wonderful…"

"Huh?" She craned her neck to see the monk sitting behind her cross-legged and bleary-eyed, staring at her rear.

_Seven… seven lovely bums…_ _must touch…_

Sango watched as Miroku stretched out his "cursed" right hand and fell flat on his face in the snow. _I'm ten feet away… his vision must be affected._

"Come on, you," she said as she hoisted him to his feet. "We've got to get out of this cold wind before we freeze to death."

"Told you… we should have stayed… inside…"

"Then we'd suffocate, fool."

"But we'd be… warm." He yawned. "Will you help me, Sango?"

Her expression softened; he didn't often ask for help. _He must really be hurt_. "Of course I'll help you."

"Then you'll bear my children?"

"Not right now, pervert…" _Maybe it really is a reflex action, if he says it when he's delirious!_ She held him up around his waist as they began trudging down the mountain. _When did it get so windy?_

xxxxx

Miroku involuntarily shivered as he and Sango trudged along the narrow mountain path through the blinding snow. _I never really realized just how handy Kilala can be, _he mused._ She could fly us to safety easily, even in this bitter wind… I hope she's all right. She's… so warm…_

He stumbled and fell for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"Stay with me, Miroku!" Sango hauled him roughly back from the edge… again… though not as roughly as she would have under different circumstances. "Damn! I can't carry your heavy body by myself… and we have to find someplace out of the wind, at least, if not the cold."

_I hear you, Sango… I just need to rest for a few minutes…_

"Miroku?" _Damn! He's out cold! What to do… !!_

**WHAP!!**

"Wha…"

**Grunt**

**Groan**

"HRAH!" Sango hoisted his arm over her shoulder, leaning forward to keep his weight centered on her hips. _Inuyasha makes this look so easy!!_

"That's it, no more seconds for you at suppertime… or any other time. I don't care if – _grunt_ – you're responsible for finagling us our meal… no more pigging out, you… OOOOOH!!"

Miroku found himself dumped unceremoniously on the ground. Sango was strong… far stronger than most men, in fact… but even his lean-muscled body was too much for her to handle at the moment, even using the "fire-man's carry" Kagome had insisted on teaching them all. _Just what is a "fire-man" anyway? Some kind of demon from Kagome's time? We could really do with some fire right now, that's for sure!_ As if carrying Miroku wasn't hard enough under normal circumstances, all the wind gusts kept her off-balance, making every step triply as hazardous as they made their way down the mountain.

"San… go…"

"Miroku! You're awake! That means you can walk." She slowly eased him to the ground, glad to be rid of the excess weight. _Is that what it feels like to be pregnant? How do we ever put up with it?_

"Just… leave me here… get… to shelter…"

"I'm not leaving you, you fool… Kagome would kill me, and Inuyasha would never let me live it down."

"They'll… understand. Now go!"

He shoved her away abruptly, and stumbled toward the cliff. _Doesn't she understand? She can't save us both. She has to go on, even if I can't. I'll find no peace in the hereafter if she dies trying to save a lecher like me. _He collapsed again, passed out from the sudden exertion.

Sango hauled the unconscious monk up once again. "Come on, you!" _I can't leave him… he refused to leave me behind in Mt. Hakurei, even when it meant death by Saimyosho poison or demon fangs. Ancestors, give me strength, just for a little while… help us find a safe place to rest!_

As if in response, another gust of wind nearly sent them both tumbling over the side of the cliff. Sango backpedaled frantically, but over-compensated. With the extra weight on her back throwing off her balance, Sango stumbled toward the cliff wall… she quickly reacted, turning herself to face the brunt of the blow as they…

**CRASH!!**

… struck the icicles hidden beneath the snow and fell past the jagged remnants onto the cave floor beyond.

This time, it was Sango who passed out as her tough but unshielded head struck a very slightly tougher rock.

xxxxx

_Owwww… my head… Miroku!_ Sango gradually came to.

Sango slowly pushed herself of the ground, eliciting a loud groan from the misshapen lump that lay like a dead weight on her back. The monk slowly slid off her and slumped to the ground.

Rising to her knees, Sango glanced back towards the hidden entrance they had crashed through. The sun was long gone, and the wind still howled outside the cave. "We can't go on any more… we'll have to stay here!" she stated firmly, more to convince herself than anything else.

Gingerly, Sango brought a hand up to her forehead. It came back red and sticky, and she could tell she would have a nasty scar, but at least she hadn't broken anything. _I guess it pays to have gone through such rigid training in taking blows as well as giving them… and this scar will be nothing compared to the scar Kohaku… the scar on my… back…_

"Miroku!" She turned, realizing that she'd been ignoring him. His left shoulder was no longer bleeding, but he had obviously lost a great deal of blood. She crept over to where he lay, shivering violently. She carefully dragged him further into the cave, which was surprisingly warm considering the weather. _It must still be warm because the icicles had covered up and insulated the entrance!_

_I wish I could start a fire… sometimes I envy Totosai. Then again…_ she gave her long brown hair an appreciative glance, and shuddered at the thought of being as bald-headed as the old swordsmith. Not knowing how else to keep Miroku warm, she lay down next to him and wrapped her slim frame around his as best she could. Gradually, his shivering subsided, and his breathing became less ragged.

_He looks so fragile… so different from his usual cheerful self. It hurts to see him so weak and helpless. And yet… I wish I could see a little bit more of this side of him. Inuyasha's such a mystery on the outside, but the inside is clearly hurting. Miroku is just… well, what is he?_

She looked at his face nestled on her shoulder. _He seems so content. I thought I'd never see such a peaceful look on his face. Ugh… I bet he can tell even asleep he's lying down with a woman… he's such a lecher, just like he says his father was…_ She realized with a start that Miroku never once spoke of his mother. _What was his mother like? She must have been quite the beauty for his father to fall for her. But… maybe Miroku never even knew her._ Her own mother had died not long after Kohaku was born. She resolved herself to ask Miroku once he recovered.

She thought back to the few times when he seemed to open up. _"Being strong in life… it's not always easy."_ That's what he had said to that young girl, Koharu. Sango shook her head. She had been jealous of that little girl despite herself. _"I wish you happiness,"_ he said, when a local lord had propositioned her. She still wasn't sure how he meant that. And most recently, in Mt. Hakurei… she was quite sure he had announced to Kagura that life was not worth living without the woman he loved. But he had denied it when she pressed him about it. She gritted her teeth. _What kind of man fools around with a woman's heart like that?_

"San… go?"

_He's awake!_ "Yes, Lord Monk?"

"Sango… no! Don't…" he cried, then lay quiet again.

_Is he… ? No, he's dreaming…_

"Don't… go…" he mumbled.

_Definitely dreaming. That's all._

She realized with a start that her shoulder was wet. She reached out her free hand to check his face for blood, since there was no more light to see by.

"Stay… with me… Sango. Don't go…"

She smelled her fingertips… they were wet, and smelled salty, but lacked the unique tang of blood.

"Don't go… my love."

Hot tears began to run down her own cheeks now.

"I'm not going anywhere… my love," she whispered as she placed the gentlest of kisses on his forehead.

His tense and shaking body relaxed, and the only sound left was the pounding of two weary hearts and the hiss of breath.

_Sweet dreams, my love… dream of the day when we will finally defeat Naraku… and on that blessed day, when we're both finally able… we'll be able to live our dreams._


	6. The Bargain

"A Fateful Night", Part 6: The Bargain

Inuyasha's howls pierced through the night, frightening villagers miles away. Again and again he cursed his humanity. _If tonight wasn't my night to transform, then maybe… they should have listened to me… why didn't I? Oh, what have I done, my Kagome…_

"KAGOME!!"

He held her close, as though that single act was the only thing he could possibly ever do again. _Nothing matters any more… Kikyo died once before, but it wasn't entirely my fault… Naraku just played us against each other. That was nothing like this… it's all my fault that Kagome is dead. I've failed to protect her, even though I promised her I always would._

He thought back to when they first met… her staring up at him, still pinned to the Sacred Tree after fifty years. He'd called her Kikyo then, because her scent was so… _Gone… I can't even smell her scent anymore… all this pitiful human nose can smell is the reek of her blood._

"If only you hadn't come through the well at all, Kagome… you'd be safe in your own time, and I… I wouldn't have to go on living without you," he choked out. "I just… existed… before I met Kikyo, and she sealed me away. Then you set me free, and taught me how to live… really live! But how can I go on living when you're not there with me? It's just not worth it…"

Tears of bitterness and regret, and longing that would go forever unfulfilled splashed down on her pale, blood-smeared cheeks. _How can I ever face the others? Miroku and Sango will never forgive me for failing… and Shippo… I as good as killed his adoptive mother myself. I'll be an outcast again. Alone._

Maybe… maybe I could find Kikyo… live with her again, like we'd planned… I wouldn't be alone, at least. But… every time I would look at Kikyo, I'd remember…

"NEVER!!" _I will never dishonor Kagome's memory by seeking out one woman to distract me from the death of another. It would be pointless to live like that. That's why I could never fully tear myself away from Kikyo in the first place. And I never told Kagome… I never told her._

_So many times she got upset with me because I went to see Kikyo… I just couldn't let her go, even though I knew it hurt Kagome. It tore me apart to see Kagome so sad, because… I loved her._

_And now she's gone._

_And I have nothing left._

_Nothing but this worthless sword my father left me… the robe my mother left me… and the hole in my heart that only Kagome filled._

_And Naraku… I still have to kill him. But, that day will be the end of it. I'll have nothing left to live for anymore. And the Jewel… the Jewel! I could wish Kagome back!! But… would that wish be selfish? Would it taint her spirit as a result? I couldn't live with that._

He chuckled a bit. _What was that song Kagome had playing on her "stare-ee-oh" the last time he visited her time?_

"You can't live with 'em, you can't live without 'em… there's something irresistible-ish about 'em…" he softly sang.

_Isn't that the truth…? I always did get grumpy when she was gone. I hated sitting around waiting for her, but there was more than that. I hated not being around her. Her smile… her hand in mine… it made all the aggravation of taking care of her worthwhile. And even that wasn't a big deal. I actually liked being there to protect her…_

_BUT I FAILED!! I couldn't save her…_

He gently laid his love down on the far side of the hut. _I guess it's true. You can't share your heart with anyone without getting hurt. Demons will only betray you eventually, or you'll betray them. And mortals… no matter what the outcome, you're left all alone._

"Maybe Sesshomaru was right," he groaned as he slipped out the door to clear his head of the reek of blood inside. "Maybe humans really aren't worth it."

"I never thought I would hear you say that… _brother_."

Inuyasha spun and reflexively dropped into a fighting stance, his right hand on Tetsusaiga's hilt. "You!"

In a flash, Sesshomaru had Inuyasha by the throat, suspended five feet in the air. "Something the matter, Inuyasha? You don't smell like your usual self. And those ears… so much like your _mother's_."

"Leave… her… out of this!" Inuyasha grunted, viciously pounding his fists into Sesshomaru's forearm.

"Tonight truly is your night of weakness, little brother… usually you would put up a decent fight… but now, you don't have a fang or claw to speak of." He released his grip, letting Inuyasha plunge into a snowdrift.

"What do you want, you heartless bastard?" Inuyasha croaked as he rubbed his sore neck.

"How dare you speak to me that way, _half-breed_!!" growled Sesshomaru as he backhanded Inuyasha into the nearest tree. "Never forget that _you_ are our father's bastard son… the son of a worthless mortal he died to save."

"Well, it wasn't my decision."

"No, indeed. But it would presently seem that it would be a decision that even _you_ would regret."

"What?"

"Think, Inuyasha. If Father had not gone to save you your mother that night, then he would have lived. If you had not been conceived, then that pitiful samurai would not have killed your mother to begin with. Not only that, but that human priestess of yours would have lived happily enough without you. And furthermore, the human girl who lies dead in that hut would still be alive. You are responsible for the deaths of all of them."

Inuyasha sank to his knees, stunned. "I… I never looked at it that way. But you can't know that! Maybe Kagome would have died sooner in her own era… and at least once, I saved Kikyo from demons! I've saved a lot of people, I'll have you know!" he snapped.

"Indeed. Yet, you could not save this one fragile human girl. How tragic, little brother."

"You don't have to keep reminding me… I won't ever forget." Inuyasha turned away, his face dark. "If you don't mind, if you're not going to kill me… which, by the way, I really wouldn't mind all that much right now… I have some things I need to do."

Inuyasha heard the cool _shhinnk_ of a blade being drawn behind him. He raised his arms out to either side and closed his eyes. "Just make it quick. You owe me that much as your brother, at least."

"Inuyasha… How would you like to correct a mistake of the past?"

"Isn't it a little late for that?"

"Not entirely. Turn around."

Inuyasha turned and opened his eyes. His brother held a sword to his throat. "But… that's not your Tokijin… that's…"

"Tensaiga."

"Yeah… Totosai said that it was a sword of healing… that it can save lives. How is it supposed to kill me?"

"It isn't."

"Then what good is it, moron?" Inuyasha snapped.

Sesshomaru's eyes flashed. "Patience, fool of a half-breed! Do you not recall the battle against the panther demon tribe?"

"Yeah. So?"

"My Tokijin and your Tetsusaiga were useless against their leader once he absorbed the souls of his subjects."  
"Until you slashed it with Tensaiga… I remember that, somewhat."

"Correct. It caused the souls he had absorbed to return to their rightful body."

"So it returns absorbed souls?"

"That is one use. But there is another. Do you know the human girl who travels with me?"

"The one Kagura kidnapped?"

"The same. I came upon her in the forest… dead. Tensaiga compelled me to resurrect her."

"What are you saying?"

"I am saying, _dear_ brother, that I will let you have the Tensaiga, which should allow you to bring back that girl from the netherworld… on one condition."

"That being?" said Inuyasha, fearing the answer.

"You must hand over the Tetsusaiga to me, the rightful heir. If I cannot wield it, I shall destroy it."

"But…" _Damn… if I hand over Tetsusaiga, he can easily kill me… and Kagome, for that matter._ "How do I know you'll keep your word?"

"I gave you none. It is your choice to accept the trade… or leave her as she is now… forever beyond your reach." Sesshomaru remained expressionless. _Does he suspect? Does he know the magic bound into the blade? Bokuseno, the old demon magnolia tree, swears that the reason Tetsusaiga rejects me is because I have never possessed the sheath carved from his branches. The two are one, and when both parts are willingly surrendered, the new owner may wield it properly whether demon or not._

Inuyasha's mind raced. _He's up to something… if he really wanted to destroy it, then he could easily take it from me even now. Why does he want me to _give _it to him?_

"Time grows short, brother. Her soul may not return if too long a time has passed since her demise."

"If all you're going to do is break the Tetsusaiga, why don't you just take it from me? You don't need to touch it to destroy it, do you?"

"How _else_ can one destroy such a formidable weapon?" Sesshomaru hissed. "Now, make your decision."

_I only need to stall him until sunrise… you can wait that long, right Kagome? If I can steal it from him, then maybe… _"Can I just think about it for a while?"

"Yes. You may have one minute to consider, Inuyasha. We will bandy about with neither words nor swords any longer."

_Damn! _"You leave me little choice."

"That is precisely the point, dear brother."

Inuyasha drew Tetsusaiga and cast it into the ground between them in one fluid movement. Sesshomaru made no move to take it up.

"What's the matter, Sesshomaru? Where's _my_ sword?"

"The sword is incomplete without the sheath."

"The sheath was never part of the deal, stupid!"

"It was implied."

"But never stated." Inuyasha smirked. _Ah-hah! He wants the sheath… or the two of them together._ "Hey! Where are you going?"

"You declined my offer," responded Sesshomaru over his shoulder. _I hold the trump card here, half-breed._

"Wait!"

"Tell me what I want to hear, Inuyasha."

"I'll give you the sheath once Kagome is revived. I give you my word."

"What good is the word of a _half-breed_?" Sesshomaru loomed over him.

"Better than yours. I keep my promises, when they are within my ability to do so. I guess protecting… her… was beyond my ability."

Sesshomaru considered this for a moment. _Hmm. He is showing humility. That's a first for him. Perhaps there is hope for him yet._

"Agreed." Sesshomaru offered the hilt of Tensaiga to his brother.

"… Thank you." Inuyasha rushed inside the hut, clutching the strangely light sword in a death grip. There she lay, as beautiful in death as in life. "I'm here, Kagome."

He held the sword before her body, and suddenly realized that Sesshomaru had never told him how to use it! _It can't be too hard… swords can only cut things, right? So what is there to cut here?_

He stared at her body for a minute. _I swear there's something hovering over her…_ he turned his head from side to side. _I can see it out of the corner of my eye, but when I look straight at it, nothing is there!_

His nose was suddenly assaulted by an overwhelming tide of scents. It was morning, and his demon powers had returned. When he regained control, he resumed his inspection of Kagome.

"What the… !"

Tiny imps were crawling all over her body.

"Heh heh… I see you!" he gloated with an evil glare.

_Please, work!_

"Kagome, COME BACK TO ME!!"

He swung Tensaiga in a vicious arc clean through the imps, which shrieked and vanished in a blinding glare.

His vision slowly returned. "Kagome? Are you…?"

His heart stopped. She wasn't moving. _Was I too late? Maybe it doesn't work for me, because I'm only half-demon? What do I do now?_ He sank to his knees as Tensaiga fell to the floor.

"Your promise, Inuyasha?" Sesshomaru called from outside.

He crawled back out, empty-handed. "It didn't work."

"That is not my concern. Keep your word."

"Whatever." He withdrew the sheath from his sash and cast it at Sesshomaru's feet. "Hurry up and kill me now."

"I am glad your demon powers have returned. It will make your death so much the sweeter." Stooping, Sesshomaru seized the Tetsusaiga and its sheath in one swift movement.

"GRAAAAAH!!" Blue lightning arced up and down his arm as Sesshomaru struggled with the sword's barrier. Finally, the reaction subsided, and he slipped the sheath into his belt. He turned back to Inuyasha.

"It is time. I swore I would kill you eventually. Prepare for it."

"You might as well. I have nothing left to live for."

"Not revenge?"

"The one who killed her is dead."

"I meant Naraku."

"He slighted you, too… I'm sure you'll kill him if no one else does."

"I will. Now kneel, as is your place, _half-breed_. I will ensure you have an honorable death, even though your entire life was a disgrace."

Inuyasha complied. _What's the use of living when you have nothing left to live for?_

"Hey."

Sesshomaru paused mid-swing. "What now?"

"The next time you see Kikyo… tell her… I'll be waiting for her."

Sesshomaru didn't answer.

Inuyasha waited for the blow to come. _Does it hurt to die? It can't be much worse than the pain of living without her…_

"_Inuyasha?" Kagome climbing out of the well, anxious to see him._

"_Inuyasha!" Kagome calling him down from his tree for supper._

"_Inuyasha!!" Kagome yelling at him for checking on her in the hot spring._

"_Inuyasha! Sit!" Kagome punishing him for trouncing Shippo._

"_Inuyasha… I know how you feel." Kagome worrying about his transformations._

"_Inuyasha… sit…" Kagome dreaming about him._

"_Inuyasha… I'll stay with you." Kagome's promise to him._

_Kagome… I'm sorry I couldn't protect you like I promised._

_Kagome… I can't live without you._

_Kagome… I'll be with you soon._

_Kagome… I love you._

"INUYASHA!! SIT!!"

**WHAM**

Inuyasha felt the swoosh of a huge air displacement as it blew his hair to one side. Startled, he looked up…

"KAGOME!?"

"You let him go, Sesshomaru!" Purple fire crackled from her fingertips, her face full of divine fury.

"Interfering wench! No more of this nonsense!" Sesshomaru dashed forward, smashing Inuyasha face-first into the snow. "Die!"

_No! Not again!_ Inuyasha wrenched himself up, preparing for a mad dash to Kagome's aid.

"Too slow, brother." Sesshomaru swung the transformed Tetsusaiga in a vertical smashing stroke. Time seemed to stand still as Kagome thrust the Tensaiga straight up at the oncoming fang.

The blades never met. They stood there as the two swords strove one against the other, both refusing to give an inch. Both swords began to shake violently, and then in a searing flash of light, both swords vanished into a blinding light. The glare resolved itself into a face… a giant canine face that gazed in displeasure at the scene before it.

"My sons… do you have _any_ idea what it's like to have a _TOOTHACHE _in the _AFTERLIFE_??" the face bellowed. "I thought it was bad once before when you strove against one another before defeating the cursed sword Sounga, but this takes the rice cake! If I have to come down here ONE MORE TIME, I swear I will kill you both myself!!"

Sesshomaru stood sullenly.

"Fah… Father?" stammered Inuyasha.

The spirit of the great dog-demon turned towards his younger child. "Inuyasha… I wish I could have been there for you and your mother… there is so much I wish I could tell you! But I cannot stay. The dead have no place in the land of the living, after all. Nor do the living have any place in the land of the dead." At this, he glanced at Kagome. "It was not your time, child. Take care of my son, he's not all grown up yet."

"Mm-hmm."

His gentle voice became a roar. "SESSHOMARU!! I am most displeased with your actions. You inherited all my fortunes save the robe of the Fire-Rat and the Tetsusaiga, and yet you are not satisfied. Are you so greedy? Or is it simply jealously that drives you to seek the other fang? I shall have words with Bokuseno, have no doubt. I'll show him that my bite is far stronger still than his bark!" The old demon spirit chuckled at his little joke. "You have already begun to uncover the power within Tensaiga, Sesshomaru. Use its power wisely! Yet, if you insist in finding still greater strength for yourself, I recommend you visit your mother."

Sesshomaru blanched.

"HA HA HA!! So, the old bitch still strikes a bit of fear into you, I see! She never did forgive you for tearing up her insides – and the rest of the litter – with your poisonous claws. Rest assured, she has grown somewhat more gentle in her waning years. She will not harm you… permanently."

Sesshomaru glared in silence at his father's rebuke.

"And now… I must be off. Stop this squabble, you two. You are _both_ my sons."

Two great paws suddenly appeared, and clapped themselves together, making a resounding **BOOM** that shook the snow from the trees all through the forest. The face disappeared, except for the two largest fangs that fell back to the ground and buried themselves in it; swords once again.

xxxxx

Inuyasha rubbed his eyes, then his ears. The last thing he could remember was a very, _very_ loud noise that overwhelmed his whole nervous system and made him pass out.

"Hi there."

He opened his eyes and looked up at the most beautiful sight. "Kagome…"

"Yep!" She grinned.

Groaning, Inuyasha tried to sit up, but she pushed his head back down into her lap. "What's the matter, don't like being here?"

"Where's Sesshomaru?" he growled.

"Gone. He just took the Tensaiga and left us here. And the Tetsusaiga." She reached over him and held it up for him to see.

"What? Why?"

"Umm… does Sesshomaru _ever_ give a reason for doing what he does?"

"… Not really. He sometimes gives reasons for _not_ doing something, though."

"True." Kagome pondered this for a moment. _He spared Inuyasha the time he transformed and killed those bandits… he said Inuyasha didn't know himself, so there was no point in killing him. I wonder if Sesshomaru decided not to kill him now because _Sesshomaru_ didn't know himself…_

"Why didn't you come back right away?"

"Hmm?"

"When you didn't come back, I…"

"You left me there… I could see you, but you just left me, you JERK!"

"You weren't breathing! I thought you were still dead!"

"_Baka_. Sesshomaru never told you how long it takes to take full effect, did he?"

"Umm… no… not really…"

"Well, there you have it. It did take a little longer than usual… that's what your dad said would happen."

"What??"

"Oh, he's real nice… wants me to tell you a few things, too. When the time is right, of course." Noticing the confused look on his face, she idly scratched his newly healed ear and laughed. "Your dad helped guide me back. I almost ended up in Kikyo's body, but he could smell the graveside soil in her, and steered me away." She shivered. "_That_ would have been awkward…" Her voice trailed off, and the two sat in silence for a while.

"Kagome?" His voice sounded strained.

"Yes?"

"I need to tell you something."

"It's ok."

"Huh?"

"You want to apologize for not saving me… it's ok, because you saved me in the end. You even sacrificed your sword for me… even if it meant losing your life as well. But I couldn't let you go through with that part of the deal because… it's not right, is all."

"My death wasn't part of the deal."

"What?"

"I knew he was going to kill me, sure. But I didn't want to run. I just couldn't…"

"Couldn't give him the satisfaction, huh?"

"Will you just SHUT UP and LET ME TALK!" snapped Inuyasha.

"Sorry! … you were saying?"

"I couldn't… I couldn't bear living… anymore." Inuyasha held his breath. It was now or never. "Kagome, I…"

She held a finger to his lips. "Don't say another word. I don't want to hear it. I know you want to be with Kikyo, but I can't stand to hear you say it!" Tears filled her eyes as they screwed themselves shut.

"But…"

"DON'T make me SAY it!" she said through gritted teeth.

Inuyasha grabbed Kagome and pushed her down, pinning her wrists to the ground as her legs flailed in the air. "That's NOT what I was going to say! Now listen to me!!"

She waited, proud defiance written on her face.

Inuyasha hesitated. _Come on, just spit it out, you fool! You've called her everything under the sun. Why can't you just say…_

"I love you, Kagome."

Those four words were like the keystone of a dike. Tears streamed down his face as he brought his lips to meet hers ever so briefly, and memories of their time together careened through his mind as he whispered those words again and again.

_He said it… he said it… he's saying my name… not hers… mine! All mine! Inuyasha loves _me_, not her!_ Kagome could scarcely believe it to be true, but the tears of joy streaming down her own face, mingling with his, couldn't be lying to her.

She wrapped her arms around his neck as he lifted her, and held her, trembling, to his heart. "Inuyasha…"

"I couldn't live without you, Kagome. I had no reason to live anymore… I was going to let him kill me… but you… you saved _me_!"

"Let's just call it even then, shall we?" she replied, laughing and wiping away her tears with his silver hair. "I wonder how Miroku and Sango will react to this?"

"Oh! I totally forgot about them! I ran down from the mountain so fast… I didn't even stop to look for them. The sun was going down, and all I could think of was getting you to shelter…"

"It's ok. I'm sure they'll understand that _I'm_ number one on your 'To-Save' list." She poked his chest for emphasis.

"Even so, we'd better go find them. Maybe we'll get there in time to save Miroku from getting his head slapped clean off."

Kagome giggled. "Maybe. Or we could let them wait a little while longer."

"I still think we should…"

A tickling whisper in his sensitive ear made him reconsider. _I'm sure they'll be… just… fine… ooh…_

_He he… if he had a tail, it would be wagging. _"I love you, too, Inuyasha…"

(Tweak, tweak)


	7. Ensemble

"A Fateful Night" – Part 7: Ensemble

Inuyasha and Kagome walked through the forest, hand in hand. The snow the ice demons had brought with them was melting, and even though the soggy ground squished beneath their feet – and between Inuyasha's toes – they couldn't have been happier.

They finally reached the dirt path that wound its way through the wood. Inuyasha put a hand out to stop Kagome from continuing. He carefully sniffed the air. _Oh, no. Not now, _please _not now!!_ He tested it again. _Damn! Wolf-Boy again!_ _Of all the times to show up…_

"C'mon, Kagome, we'll stick to the trees… for safety."

"Huh? Is the big bad dog turning chicken?" she chided.

"No," he snapped back. "I just don't feel like dealing with OOMPH!"

"Hey there, Kagome…" Koga growled softly.

"Mmpphh." Inuyasha pointed at the wolf demon crouched on his head.

"Umm… hi, Koga, what's up?"

"Nothing much, just came to make a deliver – EEEEEEEEYYOWWWWWW!!"

Inuyasha's face rose out of the dirt, gasping for air, as a cranky Koga clutched his smarting tail.

"You mongrel! How dare you yank on this fine demon tail!"

"Feh. What do you want?"

"Oh, I just decided to drop these off…"

Reaching behind his back, he produced two small lumps of fur: one pale yellow, the other reddish-orange.

"Kagome!"

"Mreow!"

Shippo and Kilala hopped from Koga's arms to Kagome's. "There you two are! What happened to you? We were worried!"

Shippo was more than happy to tell the story. "Well, I was trying to float back to the rest of you guys when this strong north wind came up… I couldn't fight against it, so I just let it push me until I landed. But when I did, it was so cold, and I fell asleep. When I woke up, I was in Koga's cave with Kilala and the Demon Wolf Tribe. They fed us and kept us warm all night!"

Inuyasha snorted. "A likely story."

"It's true!" retorted Shippo. Kilala mewed her agreement.

"Whatever."

"So did you go and find him, then, Kilala?" Kagome asked.

"Mreow!"

Koga spoke up. "My wolves were out hunting and were about to come back with a tasty Fox snack. It's a good thing your cat protected him until I got there to set things straight."

"What a good girl!" Kagome exclaimed as she rubbed behind her ears. "We owe you one, Koga."

"You don't owe me anything, dear Kagome. You know I'd do _anything_ for _my_ _woman_." Koga clasped her hands, scattering Shippo and Kilala to the ground."Wait a second… I smell blood!" He rounded on Inuyasha. "The smell of Kagome's blood is all over both of you! What have you done to my woman, you mutt?"

"Oh, it's nothing, Koga… we just had a run-in with some ice demons. I got hurt, and Inuyasha was tending my wounds while the storm blew itself over!" Kagome said dismissively, waving her hands. "That's all, honest!"

"Oh yeah? If that's _all_, then why are you wearing _his clothes??_"

"Well, mine were kind of shredded, and I kind of needed something to wear…"

"Would you rather have her running around _naked_, Wolf-Boy?" Inuyasha interjected with a grin.

A rather intriguing mental picture flashed through Koga's simple mind. "Uh… no… of course not!" he stammered.

"Didn't think so. Let's go, Kagome." She took his proffered hand.

"Where do you think you're going with _my _woman, mutt?"

Inuyasha turned on him, fire raging in his eyes. "Number one, Flea-bait, Kagome is _not_ your woman. Number two, we need to go find our friends, which is something even a scrawny wolf like you can understand. And number three… ummm… was there a number three, Kagome?"

"Nope, not really. But number one bears repeating."

"Oh, ok. Number three, Kagome is _not_ your woman!"

"Let's go, Kilala. You can smell them, too?"

"Mreow!"

"Thanks, Koga. We'll see you!"

Kagome strode off, the kitsune and two-tail in her wake. Koga stared after her, dumbfounded. Inuyasha looped an arm over his shoulder. "Oh yeah, number four. Wolf-Boy… don't touch Kagome again with anything you don't want to lose… unless you check with _me_ first. Got it?" Only someone denser than Inuyasha himself could miss the threat in his voice.

"Whatever. Later, Mutt-Face." Koga shook off his arm and sped off.

_That's odd… Kagome didn't make him 'sit'… normally she does that to keep Dog-Breath from interrupting when I come calling for her… _

Smirking, Inuyasha bounded off. "Wait up, Kagome!"

xxxxx

Miroku came to with a start.

"Oww… my head." He sat up, and shook it to clear away the cobwebs.

"Sango?" He glanced in all directions. She was nowhere in sight. _How did I get in here…_ "Hello??"

Groaning, he got to his knees, then his feet… then his knees again. _Guess this'll have to do… if it wasn't for my training, I wouldn't even be able to manage this much!_ He carefully picked his way to the cave mouth. _She's gone… I had a nightmare that she left us…that she left me… and now she really is gone._

He sat down cross-legged at the entrance to collect his scattered thoughts. Outside the cave, he could see the winter storm clouds moving on through the pale sun-lit sky. _I swear I heard her say something… it seemed almost _less_ real than a dream, so it couldn't have been real, could it? Where are you, my Sango?_

He leaned back against the cave wall and sighed. _I won't be able to move on my own for a while. I'd better rest and conserve my energy. _His brow crumpled. _But I simply _have_ to get some water. I feel like I haven't drunk anything for days! I know Kagome said it wasn't wise to eat snow, but… there isn't any other water around._

He looked outside once more… most of the snow had melted, but there were a few small piles left. _Hmm… I've seen snow red with blood… and sometimes it even looks blue… but yellow?_ He puzzled over this for a while before realizing what this phenomenon portended. _Let's stick with the white snow…_

He pulled his cloak tighter about him, and crawled over to a fairly clean pile. _Oh… so cold…_

"You are so impatient! I think that's your problem, monk!"

"Sango! You came back!"

She snorted, knelt next to him, and handed him a makeshift bamboo water carrier. "Of course I came back. I told you I was going to go get some water!"

"Thank you. I'm sorry, Sango… I couldn't hear you at all. I think I was still unconscious."

"Oh…"

"Sango?"

"It's nothing." She stood, and waited in silence while he sipped at the contents of the bamboo stalk.

_Something must be troubling her._

_She never seems to want to tell me what she's thinking._

_Maybe that's because you're such a lecher! Why should she tell you anything?_

_It is my solemn duty as a monk to look after the welfare of all…_

_Because I care about her, of course…_

_You only care about her rear end, pervert!_

_Resist all temptation…_

_I do not!_

_Do too!_

_Resist all temptation…_

_Do not!_

_Do too!_

Miroku shook his head in frustration. One voice in his head was usually too much to listen to, and now he had three!

_Just say something, idiot…_

"Sango… I can tell something troubles you."

"I told you, it's nothing!" She kept her face turned away, trying hard to stem the tide of tears that threatened to overflow.

"Sango, please… despite whatever else I may be at times, I am always your friend. It pains me to see you in such a state!"

Sango glared at him, red-faced. "Is that all I am to you, Miroku? A friend, and a convenient pillow?"

"What? Never! I…" his voice caught in his throat. He swallowed hard, hoping against hope that what he had thought he heard actually happened. He looked off into the distant sun, and continued.

"You mean more to me than any other woman, Sango… you are more than a companion and comrade. I cannot describe exactly how I feel about you, because I've never felt this way about anyone before. But I can say that when you are gone, it feels like a part of me is missing."

Her heart skipped a beat. "Miroku… I…"

"Hey, Sango!" "MROWR!"

Sango sighed in relief. _Saved in the nick of time!_ "Hey, Kagome! We're here!"

Kilala landed with a dull _whump_. As Kagome and Inuyasha dismounted, she burst into flame and jumped into Sango's waiting arms, a cute kitty once more. She purred contentedly as her mistress stroked her forehead.

"Hey, Miroku. Glad to see you didn't get yourself killed."

"Me too, me too!" shouted Shippo excitedly from atop Inuyasha's head.

"Heh heh… you know me!" he grinned back at Inuyasha. "But I have Sango to thank for that. I know _I_ didn't get us to this fine place of refuge. I would have died if I'd been out in the storm any longer."

"So, where were you guys? We were kind of worried about you, but we had our hands full as it was," pressed Kagome.

"An ice demon with a powerful spear ambushed us. I put up a barrier to ward off his attack, but the ice from his spear froze and completely covered it! We waited for a while, but didn't hear anything at all through the ice, so we decided to break through the ice. After that, I don't remember hardly anything except trudging through the snowstorm."

"Enough about us," interrupted Sango. "What happened to you two?"

"Well, we fought and killed one ice demon, who had a pair of _sais_, but then another one with a spear came and swore he would avenge his brother," Inuyasha began.

"Sounds familiar," groaned Shippo.

"Quiet, runt!" Inuyasha growled back. "I'm doing the talking here!"

"Nnnnnn!"

"Stick that tongue back in or I'll rip it out!"

"Ha! Nyah, nyah!"

"GRAAAAH!"

"Help! Kagome!" Shippo and Inuyasha began a merry chase in circles.

Kagome continued where Inuyasha had let off. "Umm… anyway, as Inuyasha was saying, we fought the second demon, and Inuyasha was really getting the snot beat out of him."

"I… WAS… NOT… GET BACK HERE!" panted Inuyasha.

"We ended up back in front of the demon bird's cave, and I hit him with a snowball."

Sango gawked. "Kagome, that doesn't seem particularly effective…"

"It is when it blinds him. I infused it with my spiritual powers."

"Oh. That works."

"He started thrashing around, and then…" she frowned. "I can't remember what happened next. Inuyasha?"

Still running, his ears perked up, and Shippo slammed a small statue on his foot, making the most of the distraction. Wincing, Inuyasha swiftly reached down and picked up the squirming fox-tyke by his tail.

"Ow… hmm, your spells are getting stronger, Shippo…" He peeled the scroll off with his free hand, and wiggled his bruised toes as the statue shrunk with a **POP**!

"Inuyasha? What happened next?"

_I was hoping we could skip this part…_

"Well, he turned himself into ice and exploded… I had slipped and fallen, so I didn't get hurt too badly but… Kagome, you were running to help me, and you really got nailed by the shards of ice."

"Lady Kagome seems in perfect condition now, though," remarked Miroku.

"Well… it seems I kind of… died… for a while…" mumbled Kagome.

"WHAT?"

Kagome filled them all in on what had happened; they had not wanted Shippo to hear this part until they were all safely together again. "… and when Inuyasha's father vanished, Sesshomaru just took the Tensaiga and left us there."

"Most unusual," murmured Miroku.

"Not at all!" insisted Sango. "When my father made two weapons from the same demon, he warned the users to never let the two come against one another in battle. He said if there was enough demonic power stored in the weapons, then it could combine with the auras of the combatants and summon the demon back from the netherworld. Such a demon would be fearful, indeed… nigh impossible to defeat a second time!"

"So you mean Inuyasha could bring his father back again any time he wants?"

"I'm afraid not, Kagome… it seems as though he didn't want to come back in the first place. And I think I can understand why."

"You've lost me."

"Well, if Inuyasha's father gave his life to save Izayoi… wouldn't he want to stay with her now?"

"I guess that makes sense… thanks, Sango."

"Of course."

xxxxx

Kagome approached Inuyasha, who had been crouching at the edge of the cliff as she finished their tale. She sat, dangling her legs over the edge, and waited.

"I think they need to be alone for a while, Shippo…" warned Miroku.

The young fox reconsidered pouncing on Inuyasha. "Can I use this instead?"

_Not the top! _"Here, Kagome said to give you this," said Sango as she handed him a large lollipop.

"Oh, goody!"

He's got the demon equivalent of ADD… _thought Kagome, stifling a giggle. _ She returned her attention to the still-silent Inuyasha. _Should I wait until he's ready to talk? Sometimes he gets uncomfortable with the silence… and sometimes not. Just like sometimes he's sweet, and sometimes he's rude. He's such a mystery… _She glanced up at the pensive hanyou's ears fluttering gently in the slightly-too-cool breeze. She suppressed a shiver, and her teeth chattered a bit.

Instantaneously, his arms enveloped her.

"I'm sorry, Kagome." It was barely a whisper.

"Don't be… you did all you could, and more… we've been over this already!"

"I don't mean that." He paused. "I mean, you wanted me to be happy, no matter what, right?"

"Mm-hmm."

"But when I thought I had lost you, I just gave up… I didn't keep going, like I knew you would want me to. I'm sorry."

"It's ok, I understand why you did…" She brushed his cheek with her fingertips. "Just don't ever think of doing it again, ok?"

_She looks so beautiful when she smiles… I think that's what I was most afraid of… never seeing her smile again._

"Ok."

"Come on, let's get going. I have to go home and get some fresh clothes, after all!" She stood up, and stretched out a welcoming hand.

"Yeah. Sorry about that, too."

"It wasn't your fault! And stop saying you're sorry for everything, or I'll sit you!" _Geez… I almost miss it when he _never_ apologized! This is getting annoying._

"Well, geez, I'm sorry for apologizing, then!"

"THAT'S IT! SIT!!"

**WHAM**

xxxxx

After retrieving the jewel shards from the cliffside, they returned to Kaede's village in a matter of hours. Sango feared that Miroku's chest wound had become infected. It hadn't, but they were all glad to be home nonetheless.

"I am glad to have ye back safe and sound. That storm was quite unnatural, and I feared ye would be caught out in it."

"We were, Kaede! But Kilala and I stayed with the Wolf Demon Tribe… it was fun, but kinda scary!"

"Aye, I imagine it would be. And how did you two fare?"

"I… we found a cave, Lady Kaede. We waited out the storm there."

"I see, Sango. Miroku, did you sense what caused the storm?"

"It seems the storm was caused by the deaths of the ice demons we fought on the mountain. Inuyasha told us that the one sought vengeance for the death of the other, and brought down the storm, exhausting all his power in the process."

"Aye. Demons can be most vengeful." Shippo nodded his agreement, working on his third lollipop of the day. "Ye are most fortunate indeed to have found shelter."

"Yes." _Thank you, ancestors…_

"Kagome, how fared ye and Inuyasha? Kagome? Inuyasha?"

"Kagome insisted she had to return to her own time, Lady Kaede. Inuyasha went with her."

"Oh my… did they quarrel again?"

"No, I don't think so… not that much, anyway," said Sango.

"I should like to hear their story when he returns."

Miroku sighed. "Not likely…" He pointed his staff at a pile of Ramen cups in the corner. "Inuyasha is probably _very_ hungry after such an ordeal." He broke into a grin. "Which means we should start eating now before he gets it all!"

"Yay! Ninja food!"

"I could go for some."

Kaede shook her head. _Children these days… no patience at all._ She resumed stirring the stew slowly simmering over the fire.

xxxxx

"Do you have to go back to your time _now_? We didn't hardly get anything done!" groused Inuyasha as he escorted Kagome to the Bone-Eater's Well.

"Yes, I do. I have to study for a huge math exam the day after tomorrow. This exam is one of three responsible for determining my placement in math next year!"

"I thought you hated math."

"I do, but… that's not the point!"

"Then what is the point?"

"I have to get placed high so I can learn a lot, so I can get into a good college, so I can get a good job and… and…"

"And what?"

"I don't know! I don't know what I'm going to do with myself, all right? Is that ok with you?" she fumed.

"That's all I needed to hear."

"Huh?"

"Well, if _you_ don't know what to do with yourself, I do…"

"Mph!" Kagome let herself go slack in his arms, but hesitated before returning his kiss.

"Inuyasha…" she whispered when they broke apart.

"Kagome… this makes things… rather complicated, doesn't it?" He gazed off into the distance. She knew he could see the well, even from here. "I mean… if you stay here when this is all over – when the Shikon Jewel is gone, I mean – you won't be able to go back to your era to see your family. But if you go back to your era, and give me the Jewel to bring back with me… you won't be able to come back here ever again!"

"I know. I still don't know what I'll do when that time comes… if it ever comes."

"It will, Kagome. I'll make sure of it, even if…" his voice trailed off.

"Even if you have to do it without me?"

"… Yeah." They resumed walking.

"So, what do you think you'll do?"

"I don't know yet… it feels like it'll be a while before that day comes."

"Kagome…" he stopped again.

"Yeah?"

"I want you to be with your family. I know what it's like to live without one, and I don't want you to have to be the same."

"But either place I go, I have a family! I have mama and gramps and Sota and Buyo back there; but here, I have a brother and a sister, and a cat, and a… nephew? son? What does Shippo see me as, Inuyasha?"

"Well, I'd say his mother, but you said I'm like a big brother to him, so that doesn't quite work if…" he blushed, realizing what that implied.

Kagome smiled. "And I have you here, too."

"Kagome… if you decide to go, in the end… I want to go with you. Even though you know I won't fit in there…"

"Do you fit in here?"

"Well, no, but… what would I _do_ there? There's no demons to slay… except for the ones you brought there…" He glared pointedly.

"He he… sorry…" _I'll never live that down… at least everyone there was convinced it was all part of the school play…_

"And don't you think I'm a little old to go to _school_? Besides, it sounds boring!"

"Hmm…" _I'd never really thought of it before, but with those ears, and his outfit… _"Inuyasha…" _We'd have to move overseas and teach him English… or some other language…_ "Have you ever heard of…" _He's got the attitude for it, too… yeah, this could work! _ "… professional wrestling?"

F I N


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